Wool degreasing machine



April 22, 1952 H. s. DRUM ETAL WOOL DEGREASING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 20, 1947 T TORNEKS April 22, 1952 H. s. DRUM ETAL 2,593,422

WOOL. DEGREASING MACHINE Filed May 20, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A T T'ORNEVS H. s. DRUM ETAL 2,593,422

WOOI..l DEGREASING MACHINE s sheets-'sheets lll lll, Il

l l l l l l QQ l l n Al y w T April 22, 1952 Filed May 20, 1947 Patented Apr. 22, 1952 WOOL DEGREASING MACHINE Harry S. Drum, Abington, and Alfred Hopkins, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to Smith, Drum and Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 20, 1947, Serial No. 749,268

4 Claims.

l 1 The present invention relates to the treatment of raw wool and more particularly to an apparatus for removing grease, oil, and dirt, or other while traversing the washing and heating' cham-l bers successively; to provide an apparatus which functions toprevent bunching of the wool while moving to thereby ensure uniform compactness and density; to provide means for reclaiming enr'trained solvent in the treated wool; to provide a degreasing apparatus wherein a novel balance of air pressure is maintained between the interior of the v'apparatus and the atmosphere; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation, partly broken away, of a Wool degreasing machine embodying one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a sectional elevation of the drying chamber of the machine and illustrating the wool feed trough and mechanism as continued from the solvent chamber; Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 represents an enlarged detailshowing the rake tine mounting and the wool trough and grille above the wool; Fig. 5

represents diagrammatically the air circulating system for reclaiming solvent; and Fig. 6 reprejsents diagrammatically a control for maintain- .ing air balance and also recovering otherwise waste solvent.

Referring to the drawings, one form of the present invention is shown as applied to a two unit degreasing apparatus comprising a casing 9 forming a Washing chamber I0, and a drying chambei- II, the' former being arranged to receive the' wool to be treated at one end and deliver it at the other end to the drying chamber I I. The washing chamber I is arranged to sub- ;ject the Wool to the action of a degreasing sol- ;vent which, for example, can be supplied by spray nozzles.. I2V or other -well known. means. The dryingphamber II is arrangedto circulate heated air through4 the wool and includes heating coils I3 arranged transversely of the chamber I I to be supplied with steam or other heating medium from a suitable source. An air duct I4 communicates at its ends respectively with the top and bottom of the chamber I I through which air is circulated by a fan unit in housing I5, driven by a motor I6.

For feeding wool to be treated successively through the chambersl IIJ and II, the housing 9 for the respective chambers mounts a plurality of suitably spaced stringers I8 arranged in the same horizontal plane to serve as supports for a series of longitudinally disposed rails 20 to which an open top trough 2I is anchored. This trough 2| is of general U-shape and has a perforated bottom 22 to allow free passage of solvent in one chamber and circulation of air in the other chamber. The trough 2l extends `as a continuous conduit through the two chambers I0 and I I, receiving the raw wool at one end and delivering the processed wool at the other end.

In order to feed the wool into the trough 2|, various means can be employed, butthe preferred construction is that of U. S. Patent No. 2,368,916, and generally comprise a hopper 23 suitably mounted exteriorly of the housing in position to discharge by gravity into a transverse passage 24 leading to and communicating with the receiving end of the trough 2i. A push plunger 25 is arranged in horizontal alinement with the passage 24 for reciprocation through the side of the hopper 23 topropel the wool step by step into the trough 2|. The plunger 25 is attached to a carriage 26 vhaving rollers 21 riding on suitable side tracks 28, and receives motion by means of connecting rods 30, and cranks 3l rotated by suitable power transmitting means such as a belt,V pulleys, vand motor 32.

For causing the wool'to travel through the trough 2l a, plurality of rows of rake tines 33 are arranged transversely of the trough 2 I, each row being carried by a shaft 34 journalled for oscillation in ears 35 projecting from a cross-bar 36 which is attached at its ends to two carrier plates 31, these latter straddling the trough 2| and being supported on rollers 38 journalled respectively in the sides of the housing of the two chambers. Thus, Athe .rows of tines are spaced longitudinally at effective distances to keep the wool mat properly in motion. Reciprocating motien -is transmitted'to the carrier plates 31 by -a pairof drive rods 40 which receive motion. from ranged to engage the adjacent cross-bar 36 so that the tines are held rigid on the working stroke but permit the tines to swing forwardly above the Wool on the return stroke and thus avoid working the wool in the wrong direction.

For the purpose of preventing the wool from bunching or piling up as the tines push it forward, a grille is mounted to lie in a horizontal plane above the wool in the trough 2|, this grille comprising a plurality of rigid, relatively thin bars 42 arranged in parallel relation, and so spaced laterally as to receive a rake tine 33 between each such pair of bars 42, said bars 42 being supported at suitably spaced intervals by cross rods 43. Flanged brackets 44 are welded or otherwise made fast to the respective sides of the trough 2 the brackets 44 at one side of the trough 2| being transversely alined with the respective brackets 44 at the opposite side of the trough 2|. Each pair of these brackets 44 depends within theV troughv 2| the. required distance to position the grille bars 42 in close proximity tothe'woolin the trough 2|. One cross-rod 43 is attached at its ends between each pair of the brackets 44, and spacers 45 maintain the desired parallel relation of the bars 42. It will be understood that the aforesaid grille extends as a continuous unit throughout the length of the trough 2| parallel to and spaced a predetermined distance from the trough 2|, so that the normal tendency ofthe wool to bunch upwards under the action of the tines is prevented by contact with the bars 42. By reason of this restraining action of the bars 42, the wool is also prevented from opening up through-holes which, unless prevented, would allow the solvent to bypass various areas of the wool and so result in non-uniform treatment.

As a means for reclaiming residual solvent contained in the wool, the discharge outlet 46 communicates with a casing 41 having a downwardly disposed arcuate conduit 48 leading to and discharging into a collecting receptacle B. The inlet to the conduit 48 is at the level of the bottom of the outlet 4S, so that the discharged wool can fall by gravity into the conduit 48. .A baille 5| is mounted within the casing 41 in spaced alined relation to the outlet 46 as an aid to directing the Wool into the conduit 48. As a means to supplement gravity, a plunger 52 is carried, by a rock arm 53,.in position to reciprocate towards and away from the entrance to the conduit 43 in order to function as a pusher propelling the wool towards the receptacle 545. The plunger 52 and the arm 53 are enclosed in the casing 41, while the shaft 54 to which the arm 53 is keyed projects outside ofthe casing for attachment of any suitable driving means (not shown). At' a suitable' location the conduit 48 is provided at opposite sides respectively with two alined perforated plates 55 and 55, the former opening into a chamber 51 formed by a housing 53, and the latter opening into a chamber 6|) formed by a housing 6|. The housing 51 has an inlet v62 forming the discharge end of a pipe 63 leading from the discharge end of a blower E4, whereby fresh air is forced through the wool between the plates 55 and 56. The housing 5l hasan outlet 65 communicating with a pipe Et which' leads to the charging end or" the machine where it discharges through a perforated plate 61 against the wool leaving the hopper 23. Thus, nally the solvent laden vapcr about the wool leaving the drying chamber is absorbed by the circulating air and carried to the charging end of the machine where it is discharged into the wool leaving the hopper. Thus, otherwise lost solvent in the solvent laden vapor is reclaimed and utilized.

The solvent reclaiming and air control system shown in Fig. 6 is shown alined with the discharge end of the machine and having the wool outlet conduit 46 extended to pass successively through an air duct 10 and then between a pair of pressure rollers 1|. These rolls 1| are located in a casing 12 and are driven from a suitable power means to rotate in the direction of wool travel. That portion of the conduit 46 within the casing l2 is apertured at opposite sides to respectively allo7 the rolls 1| to ride into contact with the wool and produce a suitable squeezing of-the fibers as a seal, so that the compressed wool at that location will prevent escape of solvent-collecting air to the wool exit 13 and to maintain back pressure upon the entrained air. Escape of air about the periphery of the rolls 1| is blockedby joint sealing strips-14 vandrblocks 15, the latter being.y biased. against' therespective rollers by suitable compression springs 16. The strips 14 and blocks 15 are preferably formed of rubber or like yielding material. That portion of the conduit 46 lying between the walls of the conduit 1U is perforated asshown at 11,` so that a closed air circulating system picksupentrained solvent and delivers it by the conduit 10 to' the inlet of a circulator 18. The discharge from the circulator 18 is into the conduit10'where abypass pipe 8B carries off and deliversthesolventladen air to a scrubber 8| having an outlet 82 for solvent free air and a return 83 for extracted solvent for delivery. to the solventv tank. A

ldamper valve 84 is located in the'byepass: pipe 80 for manual or automatic control of the solventladen air. While this back pressure-control unit comprising the squeezing rollers 1| is here'shown at the discharge end of the machinega like unit may be provided to limit the amount of air` drawn into the machine with the incoming'wool, and thereby keep the entering air to a minimum; so that the atmospheric pressure is in effect pre'- dominating at all times and solvent fumesA pre-'- vented from escaping exterior of the machine.

As a means for maintaininga low'airpressure within the machine, that is, preferably below atmosphere, an airv discharge pipe 85 leads from the chamber to the conduit 10, entering the latter between the conduit 46 and theinletside of the circulator 18. Thus, the pipeA 8511s` directly subjected to the suction of rpipe 10entirelyfindependent of whether the wool squeezingk unit is used as a part of the'solvent reclaiming mechanism. A damper valve 86 in the pipe85serves as a control for maintaining effective air 'balance within the machine.

It will now be apparent that-a complete unitary degreasing machine has been devised wherein loss of solvent has been reduced to a minimum and such a balance of air pressure relativeto the atmosphere is maintained that the latter predominates so that solvent fumes ar trapped within the machine and cannot escape to the exterior thereof. Furthermore, bythe useiof the novel grid structure 42 the Wool islkeptat a uniform thickness throughout its travel. through the machine, and any tendency to bunchior pile up at one or more places is definitely impossible. ln describing this grille 42 as beingY located atta predetermined distance fromthe'trougmit is'to be understood that such. spacing is related toi the thickness of the woolweb:aswell,asthepressurev of the solvent spray, and for that purpose the grille is adjustable towards and away from the trough 2|.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. An apparatus for treating raw wool comprising a casing forming a solvent chamber and a drying chamber, said solvent chamber having a charging inlet and said drying chamber having a discharge outlet, means for feeding loose wool fibers in the form of a mat from said inlet to said outlet, a conduit for conveying the discharged wool to a container, said conduit having a perforated inlet plate at one side and a perforated outlet plate at the opposite side, means for circulating fresh air through the wool from said inlet plate to the outlet plate, and means for conveying the air from said outlet plate to the ,Wool entering said charging inlet, whereby reclaimed solvent vapor is utilized.

2. An apparatus for treating raw wool comprising a casing forming a solvent chamber and a drying chamber, said solvent chamber having a charging inlet and said drying chamber having a discharge outlet, means for feeding loose wool fibers in the form of a mat from said inlet to said outlet, a conduit for conveying the discharged Wool to a container, said conduit having a perforated inlet plate at one side and a perforated outlet plate at the opposite side, a reciprocable plunger for feeding the discharged wool through said conduit, means for circulating air through the wool from said inlet plate to the outlet plate, and means for conveying the air from said outlet plate to the Wool entering said charging inlet, whereby reclaimed solvent is utilized. ,Y

3. An apparatus for treating raw wool, comprising a treating chamber having an inlet and an outlet in alined relation, a trough having a perforated bottom longitudinally disposed in said chamber in register with said inlet and said outlet, a grille in said trough formed of a plurality of longitudinally disposed parallel spaced ,bars and extending substantially the length of said trough, means xedly mounting said bars above and juxtaposed to Wool on said trough, a plurality of rake tines for feeding wool along said trough between said grille and said perforated bottom, said tines passing respectively between said grille bars, and means to actuate said tines to feed loose wool fibres through said trough from said inlet to said outlet.

4. An apparatus for treating raw wool, comprising a casing forming a solvent chamber and a drying chamber, said solvent chamber having a charging inlet and said drying chamber having a discharge outlet, means for feeding loose wool fibers in the form of a mat from said inlet to said outlet, means for circulating air in said casing through said mat to remove solvent therefrom, and means for passing fresh air through the discharged solvent free wool to remove the solvent laden vapor from about the Wool.

HARRY S. DRUM. ALFRED HOPKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

t UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 71,191 MacDaniel Nov. 19, 1867 293,789 Sargent Feb. 19, 1884 436,623 Andres Sept. 16, 1890 656,528 Donard Aug. 21, 1900 813,078 Bernhardt Feb. 20, 1906 1,795,170 Hirst Mar. 3, 1931 1,914,599 Hayes-Gratze June 20, 1933 2,115,630 Rehenburg Apr. 26, 1938 2,176,705 Derby Oct. 17, 1939 2,368,916 Drum Feb. 6, 1945 

